I haven’t forgotten Lucky…

ok for those who like to knit… I have taken a few photos of the bilums (string bags) that are readily available here in PNG… everybody carries one, most baby’s will sleep in one for a year or two, they come in a huge range of sizes, and they get made in a whole range of materials.

And it can taken anywhere between 1 and 16 needles to knit one, depending on the pattern and the colours involved.

I’ll start with some wool bilums and then a few pics of some more traditional materials…

this one is a simple blue, short handle, made by an Engan lady and we have seen her patterned Bilums and she does plain blue very well….

another Engan bilum but this time, the knitting wool is entwined with the fur from a Wallaby…

this one was a gift from a Koiari man, whose Wife made this one. I don’t think she is Koiari, as they are not traditional wool bilum makers…

This one is a true Gorokan bilum made by a lovely Gorokan friend of mine, she chose the colours and pattern just for me :) And it has a nice long handle…

and the same lady made one for GF…

another bright woolen patterned one…

and a festive bilum, complete with PNG flag, a key, and a patch of blue, where perhaps someone ran out of wool?

this is a simple one, but I like it because some of them can get a bit loud!!!

and one can advertise their favourite Bank!

even children carry bilums, and here’s a liklik one for a liklik pikkinnini

this one is from Manus Island, and is made from traditional fibres… probably pandanus leaves or sago palm leaves stripped down….

a lovely lady from Madang who has now passed away made this for GF… it is made from a vine, and the vine bilums are the strongest…

sitting next to a lake in the Southern Highlands not far from where Longy works sometimes, a lady made this one….

a brightly coloured traditional bilum…

another cool natural fibre bilum.

and the last one, this one complete with shell for button.

Hope you enjoyed the tour. A bilum is the Tok Pisin word for bag in which you keep your valuables, also the word for womb. A bilum will and can say where you are from and maybe, where you have been. Everyone has a bilum.

cheers.

I could see a export market for those PM. You could start a co-op.

loved the tour. think I like the traditional fibre ones best though.

Bubba Louie said:

I could see a export market for those PM. You could start a co-op.

they are available online (with MASSIVE mark ups on prices) and there is a PNG lady in Cairns who sells them up at the Kuranda Markets.

I know of an aid-worker here who has collected hundreds of them, and they are starting to sneak up in prices here…. but they are given as gifts by Highlanders and they expect the bilum to return one day full of gifts, and they are readily available.

I would love to help set up the idea of exporting them south, but I haven’t the time, and you know, if a group of ladies set something up, it would soon cause enough jealousy that the ladies would have to stop, or be forced to stop…. :(

bluegreen said:

loved the tour. think I like the traditional fibre ones best though.

the ones the babies sleep in are cool, like little hammocks where the ends tie up together… and no SIDS in PNG???

bluegreen said:

loved the tour. think I like the traditional fibre ones best though.

agreed, although PM’s with the pompoms would look good with matching beanie LOL.
plastic bags are to be banned – go bilums!

pain master said:

Bubba Louie said:

I could see a export market for those PM. You could start a co-op.

they are available online (with MASSIVE mark ups on prices) and there is a PNG lady in Cairns who sells them up at the Kuranda Markets.

I know of an aid-worker here who has collected hundreds of them, and they are starting to sneak up in prices here…. but they are given as gifts by Highlanders and they expect the bilum to return one day full of gifts, and they are readily available.

I would love to help set up the idea of exporting them south, but I haven’t the time, and you know, if a group of ladies set something up, it would soon cause enough jealousy that the ladies would have to stop, or be forced to stop…. :(

Pity. They need a bit of womens lib up there.

bluegreen said:

loved the tour. think I like the traditional fibre ones best though.

I like them all. I also agree they would sell well.

Are some actually knitted and some woven? Some of them are so neatly done. I take it the trailing bits of twine are traditional as well. At first I thought they didn’t know how to weave the trailing bits in to the pattern but then I thunk better about it.

pepe said:

bluegreen said:

loved the tour. think I like the traditional fibre ones best though.

agreed, although PM’s with the pompoms would look good with matching beanie LOL.
plastic bags are to be banned – go bilums!

Onya Pepe. Up the bilums!

pepe said:

bluegreen said:

loved the tour. think I like the traditional fibre ones best though.

agreed, although PM’s with the pompoms would look good with matching beanie LOL.
plastic bags are to be banned – go bilums!

you can get a bilum beannie, up here we call then Raskol Caps.

pomolo said Up the bilums!

That sounds a bit rude.

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said Up the bilums!

That sounds a bit rude.

Depends on your mind Bubba. Been watching too much “Good News Week?” LOL.

Bubba Louie said:

pain master said:

Bubba Louie said:

I could see a export market for those PM. You could start a co-op.

they are available online (with MASSIVE mark ups on prices) and there is a PNG lady in Cairns who sells them up at the Kuranda Markets.

I know of an aid-worker here who has collected hundreds of them, and they are starting to sneak up in prices here…. but they are given as gifts by Highlanders and they expect the bilum to return one day full of gifts, and they are readily available.

I would love to help set up the idea of exporting them south, but I haven’t the time, and you know, if a group of ladies set something up, it would soon cause enough jealousy that the ladies would have to stop, or be forced to stop…. :(

Pity. They need a bit of womens lib up there.

It wouldn’t be because they were female that the jealousy would happen, men who succeed up here soon find their house on fire. But I agree, some Women’s lib wouldn’t go astray. They have campaigns in the media to stop violence against women and they promote vigourously Successful women in business…

just at the grass roots level, it can get ugly :(

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said Up the bilums!

That sounds a bit rude.

Depends on your mind Bubba. Been watching too much “Good News Week?” LOL.

I hate “Good News Week”. :P

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said Up the bilums!

That sounds a bit rude.

Depends on your mind Bubba. Been watching too much “Good News Week?” LOL.

I hate “Good News Week”. :P

I’m not a devoted fan either but you never know when Paul McD might sing and he really can sing.

pomolo said:

bluegreen said:

loved the tour. think I like the traditional fibre ones best though.

I like them all. I also agree they would sell well.

Are some actually knitted and some woven? Some of them are so neatly done. I take it the trailing bits of twine are traditional as well. At first I thought they didn’t know how to weave the trailing bits in to the pattern but then I thunk better about it.

the woolen ones are half knitted, half crotchee’d (how do you spell that word?), using two or more sticks to hold the stitches in place, and then the end of a umbrella spoke is used to weave, knit, crotchet the wool together…. it is impressive to see a 16 needle bilum being made.

The fibre made ones are woven, although there are a couple I took shots of that are knitted in an elaborate loose knot so to speak…

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said Up the bilums!

That sounds a bit rude.

Depends on your mind Bubba. Been watching too much “Good News Week?” LOL.

I hate “Good News Week”. :P

I’m not a devoted fan either but you never know when Paul McD might sing and he really can sing.

although sometimes his choice of song lets him down :(

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said Up the bilums!

That sounds a bit rude.

Depends on your mind Bubba. Been watching too much “Good News Week?” LOL.

I hate “Good News Week”. :P

I’m not a devoted fan either but you never know when Paul McD might sing and he really can sing.

If you’re not watching the three cabbies on Andrew Denton you’re missing a hoot.

pain master said:

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said Up the bilums!

That sounds a bit rude.

Depends on your mind Bubba. Been watching too much “Good News Week?” LOL.

I hate “Good News Week”. :P

I’m not a devoted fan either but you never know when Paul McD might sing and he really can sing.

although sometimes his choice of song lets him down :(

I’m usually just grateful for any song.

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said Up the bilums!

That sounds a bit rude.

Depends on your mind Bubba. Been watching too much “Good News Week?” LOL.

I hate “Good News Week”. :P

I’m not a devoted fan either but you never know when Paul McD might sing and he really can sing.

If you’re not watching the three cabbies on Andrew Denton you’re missing a hoot.

They’ve gone now.

Bubba Louie said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said:

Bubba Louie said:

pomolo said Up the bilums!

That sounds a bit rude.

Depends on your mind Bubba. Been watching too much “Good News Week?” LOL.

I hate “Good News Week”. :P

I’m not a devoted fan either but you never know when Paul McD might sing and he really can sing.

If you’re not watching the three cabbies on Andrew Denton you’re missing a hoot.

They’ve gone now.

Think I’m going now too. Night Bubba and PM if your still lurking.

Wow!

Thanks for this!

Great stuff!

no worries ms spock, anytime :)

Testing a return to normal size text…

fingers crossed

Oh good, well now that that’s done..

I so want one of these as a handbag :D That last one is gorgeous..

Oops.. still small in View By Thread :(

Pain Master you never disappoint me in the photo department…:)

You have gone far beyond the photo call this time round.

What stunning Bilums your fellow ladies up there make.

I don’t even think a person needs to be crafty to appreciate the beauty of these bag and the skill of the ladies……..

Like Pepe said….. go the Bilum bags………

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into showing us these wonderful photos.

Lucky1 said:

Pain Master you never disappoint me in the photo department…:)

You have gone far beyond the photo call this time round.

What stunning Bilums your fellow ladies up there make.

I don’t even think a person needs to be crafty to appreciate the beauty of these bag and the skill of the ladies……..

Like Pepe said….. go the Bilum bags………

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into showing us these wonderful photos.

Here here I really enjoyed that tour :D
I don’t understand why we here in Oz don’t make handy thing’s like that. I feel shame.

Happy Potter said:

Lucky1 said:

Pain Master you never disappoint me in the photo department…:)

You have gone far beyond the photo call this time round.

What stunning Bilums your fellow ladies up there make.

I don’t even think a person needs to be crafty to appreciate the beauty of these bag and the skill of the ladies……..

Like Pepe said….. go the Bilum bags………

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into showing us these wonderful photos.

Here here I really enjoyed that tour :D
I don’t understand why we here in Oz don’t make handy thing’s like that. I feel shame.

In a knitting swap… my swappy made me a carry bag…… a lovely blue colour:)

I want to make some smaller ones up… for putting my fruit in rather than using those plastic bags…..

Lucky1 said:

Happy Potter said:

Lucky1 said:

Pain Master you never disappoint me in the photo department…:)

You have gone far beyond the photo call this time round.

What stunning Bilums your fellow ladies up there make.

I don’t even think a person needs to be crafty to appreciate the beauty of these bag and the skill of the ladies……..

Like Pepe said….. go the Bilum bags………

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into showing us these wonderful photos.

Here here I really enjoyed that tour :D
I don’t understand why we here in Oz don’t make handy thing’s like that. I feel shame.

In a knitting swap… my swappy made me a carry bag…… a lovely blue colour:)

I want to make some smaller ones up… for putting my fruit in rather than using those plastic bags…..

I was thinking I could knit up a couple little bags out of plastic bag’s for collecting egg’s , leaving one near the kitchen handy.
I can’t find any pattern’s though , I assume one has to buy a craft book. I’m a rough knitter though.
A couple big strong one’s for when I go collect poultry grain’s ect too.

Happy Potter said:

Lucky1 said:

Happy Potter said:

Lucky1 said:

Pain Master you never disappoint me in the photo department…:)

You have gone far beyond the photo call this time round.

What stunning Bilums your fellow ladies up there make.

I don’t even think a person needs to be crafty to appreciate the beauty of these bag and the skill of the ladies……..

Like Pepe said….. go the Bilum bags………

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into showing us these wonderful photos.

Here here I really enjoyed that tour :D
I don’t understand why we here in Oz don’t make handy thing’s like that. I feel shame.

In a knitting swap… my swappy made me a carry bag…… a lovely blue colour:)

I want to make some smaller ones up… for putting my fruit in rather than using those plastic bags…..

I was thinking I could knit up a couple little bags out of plastic bag’s for collecting egg’s , leaving one near the kitchen handy.
I can’t find any pattern’s though , I assume one has to buy a craft book. I’m a rough knitter though.
A couple big strong one’s for when I go collect poultry grain’s ect too.

This blog I look into has some posts on using plastic bags to make other carry bags…

http://laughingpurplegoldfish.blogspot.com/

They are all very lovely , thanks for sharing :)

Aren’t they great? I’d love one of those, they are so colourful and cheerful.
Thanks PM :)

yeah that thread thing is weird, but thanks for your comments bon008 :)

Lucky1 said:

Pain Master you never disappoint me in the photo department…:)

You have gone far beyond the photo call this time round.

What stunning Bilums your fellow ladies up there make.

I don’t even think a person needs to be crafty to appreciate the beauty of these bag and the skill of the ladies……..

Like Pepe said….. go the Bilum bags………

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into showing us these wonderful photos.

Thank you Lucky, thanks :)

Happy Potter said:

Lucky1 said:

Pain Master you never disappoint me in the photo department…:)

You have gone far beyond the photo call this time round.

What stunning Bilums your fellow ladies up there make.

I don’t even think a person needs to be crafty to appreciate the beauty of these bag and the skill of the ladies……..

Like Pepe said….. go the Bilum bags………

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into showing us these wonderful photos.

Here here I really enjoyed that tour :D
I don’t understand why we here in Oz don’t make handy thing’s like that. I feel shame.

Hi Happy Potter, it takes a weird bit of skill to make these bilums, GF was shown how, and she made one, but it took a great deal of help and training. And there are no books on how to do it…. they all just walk through the markets,a nd they say “Hey that’s a nice pattern”, and they are all making it next week….

The craft markets here have thousands of bilums for sale, they range in price from K40-120 each, or about AUD$18-50

The Estate said:

They are all very lovely , thanks for sharing :)

No worries Thee :)

pain master said:

Happy Potter said:

Lucky1 said:

Pain Master you never disappoint me in the photo department…:)

You have gone far beyond the photo call this time round.

What stunning Bilums your fellow ladies up there make.

I don’t even think a person needs to be crafty to appreciate the beauty of these bag and the skill of the ladies……..

Like Pepe said….. go the Bilum bags………

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into showing us these wonderful photos.

Here here I really enjoyed that tour :D
I don’t understand why we here in Oz don’t make handy thing’s like that. I feel shame.

Hi Happy Potter, it takes a weird bit of skill to make these bilums, GF was shown how, and she made one, but it took a great deal of help and training. And there are no books on how to do it…. they all just walk through the markets,a nd they say “Hey that’s a nice pattern”, and they are all making it next week….

The craft markets here have thousands of bilums for sale, they range in price from K40-120 each, or about AUD$18-50

Should I be half as talented.
I would love one of those bilum’s !

maybe I should look into an export to those who are interested??? I’ll investigate.

pain master said:

maybe I should look into an export to those who are interested??? I’ll investigate.

Good thinking.
I,m for one…

pain master said:

maybe I should look into an export to those who are interested??? I’ll investigate.

Goodie! Bilums for anyone who wants one! Onya PM.

I am wondering…. do these bags have stories with them??? Like the aborigines and their paintings or the quilts of the Americans???

pain master said:

maybe I should look into an export to those who are interested??? I’ll investigate.

I’d love one……

what happened to the font??? just got smaller and smaller???

Dinetta said:

what happened to the font??? just got smaller and smaller???

yeah something strange happened. but if you look at the posts one at a time instead of the whole thread they are OK.

BTW, HI DINETTA, good to see you ;)

waves madly

BTW, HI DINETTA, good to see you ;)

waves madly
================================

Aw thanks BlueGreen…I was trying to edge in unnoticed…have missed this forum dreadfully but have been so busy with the business….

How have you been keeping? Well I hope…

bump, for shopping bags :)